The storage ring left behind by the Mountain Ancestor contains three layers of space.
Ning Qi's spiritual sense reached the innermost layer, which was the core space. It was pitch black inside, with occasional flashes of light, like a starry sky.
In the center of the starry sky, a faint, moldy green light flickered.
Ning Qi looked over and discovered that it was a moldy green bronze coffin.
The bronze coffin stood alone, its age unknown. The coffin was covered with patina, and the intricate patterns beneath the patina were faintly visible.
As soon as Ning Qi entered, he was drawn to it and sensed the immortal aura emanating from it.
"There are immortals too?"
Ning Qi remained cautious, his spiritual sense reaching towards the bronze immortal coffin.
However, he discovered that as soon as his spiritual sense touched the coffin, the celestial light emanating from it flickered even more intensely.
Ning Qi struck out with his palm.
The spiritual consciousness condensed into a giant hand, which traversed space and instantly grabbed at the bronze immortal coffin.
However, to Ning Qi's surprise, the bronze immortal coffin remained completely still and showed no signs of strain!
Ning Qi really didn't believe it.
He didn't sense any danger yet, so he prepared to give it his all.
The giant hand, formed from concentrated spiritual energy, gripped the bronze immortal coffin tightly with its five fingers, producing a low, resonant sound.
A wisp of immortal power flowed from the Yin-Yang Dao Diagram within Ning Qi's soul, empowering the giant hand and allowing it to continue pulling the bronze coffin.
However, the bronze coffin remained firmly in place, like a stubborn rock, and did not move an inch.
"Even using immortal power won't work?"
While Ning Qi was still in shock and doubt, he suddenly felt the immortal power in his hand disappear at an extremely fast speed, as if a clay ox had entered the sea, and was sucked into the immortal coffin.
"Is this coffin drawing my power?"
Ning Qi immediately cut off the supply of immortal power, but strangely, he found that the bronze coffin was like a bottomless pit, and at this moment it seemed to be activated, making it impossible for him to draw out the immortal power.
Even at this moment, Ning Qi's giant spiritual hand, attached to the surface of the bronze coffin, could not even be released.
A continuous stream of immortal power is being absorbed into the immortal coffin.
Ning Qi's expression inevitably changed.
Fortunately, he hadn't used his full strength before; he had only tested it with the immortal aura within his body. He also had another power with a completely opposite nature within him!
In an instant, the yang fish within Ning Qi's soul swam, releasing a wisp of boundless evil energy that rapidly flowed towards the bronze immortal coffin.
With the addition of boundless evil energy, the bronze immortal coffin, which was originally absorbing Ning Qi's immortal power, began to tremble after only a short while.
The patina on it trembled slightly and a lot of it fell off.
The entire immortal coffin seemed to be poisoned, and in the next second, it suddenly spewed out a large amount of immortal power.
It's as if it swallowed a foreign object and had to spit it out.
Ning Qi immediately realized that the giant hand formed by his spiritual consciousness was no longer being sucked into the immortal coffin, and he could finally withdraw.
Ning Qi did not retreat, but instead took a step forward and came directly to the front of the immortal coffin.
He slightly clasped his right palm together, as if scooping up air with a spoon.
The massive amount of immortal power spewed out by the immortal coffin was instantly condensed into a ball by Ning Qi.
Ning Qi looked at the immortal power in his hand, which was different from the immortal power of the Mountain Ancestor.
The mountain ancestor's immortal power was like the radiance of a full moon, incomparably pure, and the immortal power spewed out by this bronze immortal coffin was also bronze in color.
Ning Qi immediately thought of the immortal gate that the Mountain Ancestor had created when he became an immortal, where a bronze gate had once appeared.
"Could it be that there is an immortal body inside this immortal coffin, and the immortal gate that was once formed was a bronze gate?"
Ning Qi could only guess at this.
The celestial coffin, after the previous tremors, immediately returned to calm.
Even when Ning Qi came in front of it, it no longer reacted.
"Get out here, you guys!"
Ning Qi gave a cold shout and addressed the bronze immortal coffin.
"Playing dead, huh!"
Ning Qi continued to channel a wisp of immortal power into it, but the immortal coffin showed no reaction.
"Not smoking anymore?"
Ning Qi transformed his own power into boundless evil energy and continued to transfer it towards the Immortal Coffin.
The immortal coffin remained unresponsive.
Ning Qi frowned.
This thing is completely unresponsive!
The next second, he merged the two powers and raised his hand to lift the coffin lid.
Based on previous reactions, there may be living beings inside this bronze coffin.
Clang!
Ning Qi tried to lift it, but he couldn't open the coffin lid no matter what he did.
It should be known that the two powers he fused were enough to kill the Mountain Ancestor after he became an immortal, but when they landed on the bronze immortal coffin, not only could he not lift the coffin lid, but he could not even move it by the slightest bit.
Ning Qi couldn't help but become curious.
What exactly is inside this bronze coffin—a human, a ghost, an immortal, or something else?
Why is there no response now?
Logically speaking, if the one inside is an immortal, their strength would at most be the same as that of the Mountain Ancestor.
However, Ning Qi was unable to open the coffin lid, which puzzled him further.
Ning Qi stood a little further away, and suddenly spat out a mouthful of Dao fire towards the immortal coffin.
Flames engulfed the immortal coffin, and the copper rust on it crackled and popped as it was burned.
Gradually, the patina on the entire coffin peeled away, revealing more prominent inscriptions.
Inscriptions covered the coffin, with a circular pattern remaining above the lid.
Inside the circle was an incredibly ancient script, which Ning Qi realized he didn't recognize.
"What does this mean, and what is it that is so tightly sealed?"
Ning Qi had no choice but to temporarily abandon his exploration of the bronze immortal coffin.
He looked around. In this core space, besides the immortal coffin, there were some strange decorations scattered everywhere.
To the east of the Immortal Coffin, there is a tree-like object cast in bronze.
Ning Qi reached out and tried to grab it, only to find that the bronze tree was also immovable.
"Hmm, could it be connected to this immortal coffin?"
Ning Qi's gaze then turned to the west side of the immortal coffin.
At roughly the same distance, there is a small, hill-shaped mineral deposit.
Ning Qi continued to try to move the minerals, but still failed.
He could only take a closer look and discover that it was a mine that had been folded and shrunk using spatial techniques.
The mine shimmered with light, containing a variety of minerals that Ning Qi had never seen before.
No, I should say I've seen one of them before. One of the minerals is somewhat similar to the material of Shan Zu's storage ring.
"That should be immortal silver, and the others are at least minerals of the same level, most likely immortal mines from within the immortal realm..."
Ning Qi was somewhat annoyed, looking at the immortal mine, he couldn't even take it away.
If he could move around, he could use these immortal ores to completely forge a set of immortal robes and swords!
Apart from this, there was nothing else in the entire space.
Bronze Divine Tree, Bronze Immortal Coffin, Mountain of Immortal Mines...
The three elements appeared mysterious and extraordinary in this space.
Ning Qi closed his eyes, and his spiritual consciousness reappeared deep within his soul.
He then went to the place where Shanzu was imprisoned.
The mountain ancestor sat cross-legged in the cage, no longer displaying his previous arrogance and madness.
He raised his eyes and looked at Ning Qi.
Ning Qi asked directly, "What exactly is in the third space of your storage ring?"
Upon hearing this, Shan Zu, who had initially been unwilling to respond to Ning Qi, instantly changed his expression.
"You've cracked my storage ring?"
After he spoke, he knew it was all just empty talk.
Then he asked, "Did you see what was inside?"
Seeing his expression, Ning Qi's heart stirred.
"What exactly is that?"
The mountain ancestor suddenly chuckled, a strange light flashing in his eyes.
"I don't know what it is either."
Ning Qi narrowed his eyes.
"You won't talk about it, huh? I just tested it out. That immortal coffin can absorb immortal power. I'll put your immortal body with it in a bit!"
Upon hearing this, the mountain ancestor's face, which had just been smiling, instantly showed a hint of fear.
"don't want!"
"What exactly is in there?" Ning Qi asked again.
The mountain ancestor let out a soft breath.
Ning Qi used his immortal body as a threat, even though he was now a prisoner and even his immortal soul and immortal body had been separated.
But this threat was extremely effective against him.
"I didn't record what it was in the inheritance I received, but I've explored it. It seems to contain something terrifying. Only by constantly nourishing it with immortal power can it break out of the coffin. Why don't you give it a try?"
"Is this the only way?" Ning Qi glanced at him sideways.
The mountain ancestor waved his hand.
"If you don't believe me, that's fine too."
Ning Qi observed his expression. In the depths of his soul, within the cage of the Great Dao, the Mountain Ancestor could not deceive him without being detected.
Clearly, the Mountain Ancestor wasn't lying; it seems he genuinely didn't know what that thing was.
Ning Qi thought for a moment, then said:
"You said before that they wouldn't let me go. Who exactly are you talking about, 'them'?"
Shan Zu's eyes gleamed.
"Don't try to fool me. You still have your immortal soul, so you should know very well where this place is. No amount of lies or deception can fool me."
Shan Zu gave Ning Qi a deep look.
Ning Qi's threat, of course, worked once again.
Whether Shanzu can survive now is entirely up to Ning Qi.
Perhaps this is a bit of an exaggeration, but the Great Dao Cage that focuses on him does indeed have the power to punish him.
He didn't want to be whipped by those great thunderbolts again.
The sensation was so intense that even his immortal soul could hardly bear it.
Shan Zu even thought that he would never have suffered like this, even if he were someone else's prisoner.
After all, the most anyone else could do was punish him with their divine power.
Ning Qi, this freak, this guy who's similar to a demon, can use the boundless evil energy in the Boundary Sea.
Immortals feel disgust and aversion to boundless evil energy from the depths of their souls.
Therefore, Shan Zu became increasingly aware of his own situation and realized that there was no need to continue fighting and cursing with Ning Qi.
"I can tell you, but could you really spare my life?"
Ning Qi's gaze was sharp as a knife as he looked down at the Mountain Ancestor in the cage.
"It all depends on the value of your intelligence!"
Shan Zu seemed a little more relaxed.
Although he had committed many evil deeds, he still had a relatively positive view of Ning Qi's character based on what he had seen along the way.
Therefore, he was not worried that Ning Qi would go back on his word or try to trick him.
Next, the Mountain Ancestor slowly began to speak.
"You think things will be easy for me after I become an immortal, right?"
"What's the hidden story behind this?" Ning Qi asked again.
Shanzu finally confessed completely this time.
"Becoming an immortal is not as simple as you imagine, especially since I am a descendant of Buzhou Mountain... I have to deal with the troubles that come with this identity, and one of the people I mentioned is facing this trouble!"
"One of them?"
The Mountain Ancestor licked his lips, even though he was currently living as a celestial soul.
"That's right. In the past, Buzhou Mountain was so sacred and magnificent. Do you think I have obtained the complete inheritance of Buzhou Mountain?"
Ning Qi immediately thought of the remains of Mount Buzhou.
If it is a fragment, there must be other fragments existing, otherwise how can it be called a fragment?
The Mountain Ancestor continued:
"After I received the inheritance, I knew that once I became an immortal and summoned the remains of Mount Buzhou, it would attract the covetous eyes of others who had also received the inheritance of Mount Buzhou."
"Before I became an immortal, I never dared to summon the remnants of Buzhou Mountain in advance, and that was the reason."
Ning Qi asked, "Are you saying that by summoning the remnants of Mount Buzhou, you may have already attracted the enemy's attention?"
Shanzu smiled.
"Of course, that's Mount Buzhou! It was one of the most powerful forces under the Immortal Realm in the past. Even if it collapsed and turned into several pieces scattered in the Boundary Sea, as long as there are still people living within its forces or who have obtained its inheritance, they will definitely follow the traces to find it!"
Upon hearing this, Ning Qi frowned slightly.
"This is just one of the enemies; another terrifying enemy awaits you!"
Shan Zu looked at Ning Qi with a pitying gaze.
"Is this the Immortal Alliance you mentioned?"
The Mountain Ancestor scoffed lightly, "It seems you did take my curses to heart."
"You have merged with boundless evil energy, and I don't know why you can still retain your own will and have not turned into a human-demon! However, all the immortals in the entire Immortal Realm take it as their duty to slay the twisted monsters in the Boundary Sea, including the human-demon driven by boundless evil energy!"
"A demon?"
Ning Qi repeated these two words.
This was the second time he had heard this term from Shanzu.
“My junior sister forcibly fused with the energy of the Boundary Sea, which is almost equivalent to severing her path to immortality, but at least she won’t be considered a human-demon.”
"And you, Ning Qi, hehe, once the boundless evil energy enters your body, it is absolutely impossible to expel. As long as others sense the presence of the evil energy, you will be considered a demon and will be hunted down by all the cultivators in the Immortal Realm. You have ruined your path to immortality with your own hands!"
"Hehe, if I were you, I would never hope to become an immortal again. I would just find a remote area of the Boundary Sea and hide away for the rest of my life."
"Otherwise, once you are discovered by the immortals, they will send your information to the Immortal Alliance, and the entire Immortal Realm will regard you as an enemy. Your future is destined to be one of enemies with the whole world, hehehe!"
The mountain ancestor's spirit laughed with great pride, yet also with a hint of sorrow.
He certainly wasn't grieving for Ning Qi, so it could only be for himself.
He had clearly become an immortal, yet he perished because of Ning Qi; one can imagine how unwilling he was.
The mountain ancestor kept his eyes fixed on Ning Qi's expression.
He wanted to see if Ning Qi could remain so calm after hearing the information he had given him.
Ahead, Ning Qi hovered outside the Great Dao Cage.
Ning Qi's brows still seemed furrowed as he listened to the information provided by Shan Zu.
The next second, Ning Qi raised his hand and rubbed his brow, and his slightly furrowed brows instantly relaxed.
"No matter how many enemies they have, let them come! I'll be waiting for them! As for being enemies with the whole world, so what? Do you think I'd be afraid?"
Ning Qi said in a deep voice.
His eyes shone like stars, revealing a confidence to challenge anything.
The strong are not afraid of their enemies; they only think about how to defeat them, and thus, the strong become even stronger.
"you……"
Looking at the spirited Ning Qi, Shan Zu couldn't help but feel a sense of surprise.
Just mentioning those enemies made him feel incredibly troubled, even after he became an immortal, as if there was no way out for him.
But Ning Qi possesses an amazing character; he faces difficulties head-on and goes against the grain.
Perhaps this is also why he lost to Ning Qi.
A thought flashed through the mind of the Mountain Ancestor: what exactly is a true strongman?
Is the one who ruthlessly sacrifices all living beings and follows the law of the jungle to be the strong?
Or is it someone like Ning Qi? (End of Chapter)
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